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5 bodies found near site of Indian ethnic violence

The Associated Press

Posted:
05/07/2014 05:17:38 AM CDT

Updated:
05/07/2014 05:18:11 AM CDT

GAUHATI, India (AP) — Officials say five bodies have been recovered from a river near an area where more than 30 Muslims were killed last week in the worst ethnic violence in India's remote northeast in two years.

Local magistrate Vinod Sachan says the bodies were found Wednesday in the Barpeta district of Assam state, raising the death toll from the violence to 38. Two other bodies were found Tuesday.

Barpeta is next to Baksa district, where police said gunmen from the Bodo tribe, which has long accused Muslims of entering India illegally from neighboring Bangladesh, went on a rampage, setting Muslim homes ablaze and firing indiscriminately at civilians.